Just Another Manic Monday

It's Monday again. ugh. The start of another work week has me too bummed out for words. So, instead, let's just talk about the weekend.

This weekend I was finally able to celebrate fall. Friday night (after a very looonnnngggg week) I treated myself to a mani-pedi. Because we had a cold snap last week (daytime high of 84, low of 63 -woot!woot!) I decided it was now appropriate to stray from my favorite summer color - and go back to my first true love - Lincoln Park After Dark. I. love. it. It makes me happy to see my fingers & toes in their dark, gothy glory.

I'm showing the mani vs. the pedi because my sister has given me a complex about my feet by teasing me about a crooked toe I may or may not have. I'm not giving the rest of you the opportunity to do the same.

Also - I FOUND PUMPKIN!!!! {cue happy dance}.

The pumpkin was in the house all of 15 seconds before I was whipping up my absolute favorite pumpkin bread in the world. The Kitchen Aid Mixer was mixing, pumpkin and cinnamon smells wafted through the air and all was right with the world. I made this bread so many times last fall that I memorized the recipe. It's that good.

The Great Pumpkin Bread, adapted from Smitten Kitchen's Pumpkin Muffins

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 cup canned solid-pack pumpkin (not pumpkin pie filling)

1/3 cup vegetable oil

2 extra large eggs

1 1/4 cups plus 1 1/2 tablespoons sugar

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

2 teaspoons cinnamon plus 1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon nutmeg

1/4 teaspoon ginger (dry, not fresh)

Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease/spray a loaf pan (approx. 8x4x2). Combine flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt in a small bowl; set aside. Whisk/mix together pumpkin, oil, eggs, 1 1/4 cups sugar, 2 teaspoons cinnamon, nutmeg and ginger until smooth, then whisk/mix in flour mixture until just combined. Pour into greased loaf pan.

Stir together remaining 1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon and remaining 1 1/2 tablespoons sugar in another bowl. Sprinkle top of loaf with cinnamon-sugar mixture. Bake until puffed and golden brown and wooden pick or skewer inserted into the center of a loaf comes out clean, approx. 35-40 minutes. (Make sure to test the dead center of the loaf. The middle will take much longer to cook than the edges.) Cool in pan, then transfer to serving plate.

See the delicious, crackly cinnamon sugar crust on top? Best part.

I let mine "cool" about 5 minutes before I could wait no more. Heavenly. Please don't blame me if you find yourself making this every week until Christmas. And then spend the next three seasons praying for fall to return again so you can just make the darn pumpkin bread again!


Oh, and how cute are these napkins?!?! My mom sent them to me last Halloween and I had some left over. They crack me up. It really is the little things... Thanks Mom - they're still making me smile!